Having settled the matter with Voban, Phoenix and Luo Hao reunited with their Knights and miko.
Tokyo had suffered immense devastation. Casualties were countless, and nearly thirty percent of its buildings and infrastructure lay in ruins. This was only because Phoenix had intervened in time to stop Voban.
Whether the Japanese authorities could accept it or not, Phoenix felt she had fulfilled her obligations. Not that she had ever intended to protect them in the first place.
The casualties and destruction were directly related to Phoenix's battle with Voban, but she remained unconcerned.
I should be grateful I didn't completely destroy Tokyo, but... unfortunately, I can't go there for the time being.
That's because Higokumaru was there, possessing power rivaling that of a Campione or Heretic God.
As a result, Phoenix's two Knight Maidens and two Miko Maidens remained completely unharmed.
When Phoenix arrived with Luo Hao, they found three of the four women leisurely enjoying the "free" ice cream. Only Yuri Mariya, being Japanese, was visibly anxious.
"King!"
"The King has returned safe and sound!"
"Sister Phoenix!"
As Phoenix approached, the group hurried to her side. Seeing that she was completely unharmed, they breathed a collective sigh of relief.
When they noticed Luo Hao standing beside Phoenix, the others showed little reaction. Erica and Liliana, however, immediately bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Cult Leader Luo Hao..."
"Luo Hao... Cult Leader Luo Hao?"
Hearing Liliana's words, Yuri Mariya, who had been frantic with worry, was stunned into silence.
Who hadn't heard of the infamous Cult Leader Luo Hao?
What was happening to Tokyo?
Why were Campiones flocking to the city one after another?
Before these god-slaying figures, Tokyo was crumbling, teetering on the brink of collapse.
Yuri suddenly felt lost, unsure of what to do.
"Cult Leader Luo Hao..."
"Princess Alice greets the esteemed Martial Arts King!"
The White Miko Maiden, Princess Alice, visibly tensed as she saw Luo Hao beside Phoenix. Luo Hao, known as the "Demon Woman," was no less ruthless than Voban himself.
Yet watching Luo Hao interact with Phoenix, they genuinely seemed to be on good terms.
I wonder how Voban is doing now?
Luo Hao is also his enemy. With the two Kings allied, Voban must have retreated by now.
Still, Luo Hao, who rarely leaves Mount Lu, has come to Japan... What could she be planning?
"Hmm." Luo Hao glanced at the group, giving a calm nod of acknowledgment before her thoughts drifted back inward.
Even this minimal gesture was a great honor.
For someone as notoriously self-absorbed as Luo Hao, she wouldn't have bothered acknowledging them at all if they weren't associated with Phoenix.
"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold... what happened to Voban?" After exchanging greetings, Princess Alice cautiously inquired of Phoenix.
"Voban... he no longer exists in this world," Phoenix replied nonchalantly.
"..."
Upon hearing this, the two young Knight Maidens and two Miko Maidens present couldn't help but swallow hard.
The oldest Campione, Marquis Voban, whose oppressive presence had stifled the entire world... was he truly gone?
The Demon Lord who casually destroyed entire cities, vanished just like that?
It felt as if they were still half-asleep, unable to fully comprehend the reality.
"Liliana!"
After a brief conversation, Phoenix turned to Liliana beside her.
"Here!" Liliana replied promptly.
"Luo Hao and I have urgent matters to attend to that you can't be involved in. So... you, Erica, and Princess Alice will escort Yuri Mariya back to Italy to prepare for the ritual to summon the Heretic God."
"Luo Hao and I will return immediately after finishing our business to conduct the ritual. Understand?"
Phoenix had decided not to bring them along for the upcoming trip to the Western Heaven Palace.
"Yes, Your Majesty! Rest assured, we'll complete the task."
Though they rarely showed it, Erica and Liliana were Great Knights. Aside from the god-slaying Campione, Great Knights represented the pinnacle of martial power in this world. Princess Alice was also a relatively skilled miko.
"Good."
"Sister Phoenix, what about me?" Higokumaru, who had been enjoying her ice cream, raised her small hand and looked at Phoenix with pleading eyes.
"You? You can come with us..." Higokumaru's strength was more than sufficient for combat, so it was fine to bring her along.
"Yes, Sister Phoenix!" Higokumaru nodded eagerly, her face lighting up. So I'm still important after all.
After issuing these brief instructions, Phoenix sent Liliana, Erica, Princess Alice, and Yuri Mariya back to Italy from Tokyo.
Meanwhile, Phoenix, Higokumaru, Luo Hao, and their fox companion continued their journey toward the place where Sun Wukong was sealed.
The Western Heaven Palace wasn't located in Tokyo, but in Kyoto. Despite both cities sharing the character "京" (Kyo), the distance between them was considerable.
Kyoto had been the Imperial Capital of Japan before the Meiji Restoration. For centuries, the Emperor had been a mere puppet of the Shogunate. After the Meiji Restoration, the Emperor moved the capital to Edo, now Tokyo.
The journey from Tokyo to Kyoto would be long for ordinary people, but for Phoenix and Luo Hao, it was merely a short hop.
Unlike the modern international metropolis of Tokyo, Kyoto had preserved many buildings from centuries past. Thanks to the city's relative immunity to large-scale destruction over the centuries, these structures remained remarkably intact, making it a popular tourist destination.
On the outskirts of Kyoto, hidden from maps and inaccessible to tourists, stood a shrine known as the Western Heaven Palace.
Its name was derived from the Journey to the West's legendary "Journey to the West to Obtain the Scriptures." Built to honor the world-renowned Monkey King, it served as the site of his imprisonment.
Though the Journey to the West was merely a novel and not a true myth, its immense popularity had transformed it into one over the centuries. Through countless retellings, everyone had heard of the story, blurring the line between fiction and myth.
After all, the Heretic Gods of this world drew their power from fame and belief.
If the Journey to the West had never existed, Sun Wukong would never have emerged as a Heretic God.
Before heading to the Western Heaven Palace, Phoenix and Luo Hao decided to dine at a luxurious hotel.
Their upcoming battle with Sun Wukong could devastate Kyoto even more than Tokyo had been. Campiones and Heretic Gods were essentially walking natural disasters; even unintentional slips could obliterate entire cities.
So, before Kyoto met its doom, they wanted to enjoy themselves a bit. They didn't want a repeat of Tokyo, where they barely had time to explore before the city was nearly wiped off the map.